Submerged tunnel-inlet



(No Model.)

J. A. COLE.

SUBMERGED TUNNEL INLET.

No. 300,576. Patented June 17, 1884.

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JOHN A. COLE, OF HYDE PARK, ILLINOIS.

SUBMERGED TUNNEL-INLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,576, dated June 17, 1884.

Application filed March 514, 18E-1. (No model.)

To all whom t 17mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. Conn, a citizen of the United States, residing at I-Iyde Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submerged Tunnel-Inlets, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l' represents an elevation o' a part of the tunnel Withmy improved inlet applied, the structure being partly in section; Fig. 2, a plan section taken on the line a m, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a similar view, on an enlarged scale, with a portion of the cap broken away; and Fig. e., a detail section of the same, taken on the line y y, Fig. 3, and on the saine enlargedy scale.

My present invention relates to inlets for Water-tunnels, which are intended to be submerged or placed near the bottom of the body of water from which the tunnel leads.

The invention. consists, mainly, in various improvements in the construction of the cap which surmounts the upright inlet-pipe, Whereby the accumulation of sand is obviated, and the cap is readil7 closed until the tunnel is completed and ready for operation, when it is also opened with facility for the admission oi' Water.

I will proceed to describe in detail thc construction and operation of devices by which I have carried out my invention in practical i'orin in one Way, and will then point out definitely in the claims the special improvements which I believe to be nenr and wish to protect by 'Letters Patent.D

In the drawings I have represented the ground-line or bottom of the body of water, and also the surface of the Water, by suitable lines marked to distinguish them, respectively. The main tunnel A is some distance below the ground-line, as shown in I of the drawings. It may be of any ordinary construe tion, and my present improvement does not relate particularly to it. At the proper point an upright or inlet cylinder, B, rises until it is above the ground-line- This inletcylinder is preferably formed ol' large east-metal rings t, which are sunk successively in the Wateri up and clog the tunnel.

el of the drawings.

bed, in a manner well knoWn,Which I need not stop to describe here, until the main tunnel is reached, with which connection is then made in any suitable way, and preferably the interior is bricked up with a lining, b, the ring-sections being fastened together by their respective end flanges, which is an ordinary device in structures of this kind. The cap O of this inlet-cylinder extends a little Way above the ground-line with the same dimensions, and is then enlarged or ilarcd, so as to presentthe appearance of quite a ivide ilange, c, projecting beyond the body of the cylinder a little Way above the ground-line. Above this enlargement or flange the cap is gradually drawn in, so as to make it practically cone-shaped, as shown in the drawings, until dually the central opening, c', is considerably smaller than the inlet-cylindcrrIhis conical top of the cap is a skeleton frame, consisting of a eentral ring at the extreme top and bars running thence to the outer circumference or flange. It will thus be seen that all round the conical side ot" the cap there will be irregularshaped openings c2, through which, as Well as through the central opening, Water may be admitted to the inlet cylinder. These openings are grated, being provided with bars D, arranged in any suitable Way to prevent the entrance or' refuse of any kind which would tend to iill The bars are bolted, or in any other convenient way fastened to the cap; or, if desired, they may be cast with the cap-piece.

In order to close the cap, I provide plates E of suitable size and shape to completely cover the openings in the conical side of the cap-piecc, and to project beyond them somewhat 011 all sides, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. These plates are securely fastened to the cap-piece by bolts e, passing through the edges of the plates and the parts of the cap -frame directly underneath and around the openings. as shown in Figs. 3 and If desired, the pla-tes may be provided with a loop or handle, c', for convenience in removing them. A suitable circular plate, F, is also provided to close the central opening of the cap-piece, around which is an inside scat, j', on which this plate rests,

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and to which it is fastened by bolts j". It will thus be seen that the cap-piecemay be entirely closed and kept so, even when submerged until the tunnel is ready for use. In constructing the inlet of the tunnel, the sections for the inlet-cylinder are fastened together, and the cap also placed in position and secured to the upper section-ring. Ihe cappiece is closed, except its central opening, and to its top is applied a pipe or cylinder, G, of sufficient length to extend above the water-surface, and built up section after section, as the inlet-cylinder is sunk in the water-bed, in a way that is well vunderstood at the present time. The lower section of this pipe or cylinder is provided with a suitable iiange, g, by which it is bolted to a corresponding flange on the head of the cap-piece, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will be understood, of course, that this cylinder G operates as a coffer-dam while the structure is being built and completed. After the inlet-cylinder is sunk to the tunnel, the brick lining is built in, and preferably is extended part way up the cap-piece, so as to reach, if not extend a little above, the ground-line. Then this is done, the central plate, F, is applied to close the upper or central opening in` the cap, and then the pipe or cylinder G is removed, the bolts which fasten it to the cappiece being removed by divers. Thenthe tunnel is completed, and it is desired to let iu water, these several plates E and F which close the cappiece are readily removed by divers, when of course water is admitted from all sides through the cap-piece to the tunnel.- The Hanging or projecting outward of the cap-piece a little distance above the ground-line serves to prevent the accumulation of sand and other material, which would finally cover thc inlet, for the water against l[he cap-piece underneath the flange will carry g out and away the sand and other material,

keeping the inlet-cap entirely free and unobstructed. This submerged inlet-cap, it will be understood, is some distance below the surface of the water, so that it is out of reach of accident from anything floating at or near the surface of the water; and it is obvious that the water taken near the bottom will ordinalrily be less lia-ble to contain impurities than that ynear the surface.

It will be evident to those familiar with structures of this kind that in operation it will be necessary to provide for the admission of air to the inlet when closed, under certain circumstances, and also to allow the air to escape therefrom under certain circumstances. For instance, when Ait is desired to To provide for the admission and exhaustion ofair to and from the inlet when closed a short pipe, II, is attached to one of the closing-plates, which may be either one of the side plates or the central plate, as desired, or it may be attached to a fixed part of the cap.

\In the drawings I have shown this pipe on one of the closing-plates. It is provided with a stop-cock or valve, h, and when it is desired to make an air-passage from the interior of the inlet to the atmosphere above the water-body a tube, I, preferably flexible, is connected to this pipe, being supported at its upper end above the surface of the water by a iioat, i, or any other suitable means. A diver connects the lower end of this tube with the pipe H, opens the stop-cock, and obvi-v ously communication is at once established between the interior of the inlet and the atmosphere above the water.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to details of construction as described above and shown in the drawings, for it is obvious that th'ese may be changed in many particulars without modifying the main feature of my invention, and especially the particular construction of the upper or top portion of the cap-piece may be changed in many ways.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim yas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv l. A submerged inlet-capl for tunnels, provided with a iiange or enlarged projection ex@ tending out beyond the main body of the inlet and arranged adittle above the ground-line of the water-bed, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The submerged inlet-cap C, of cylindrical form, and provided with a flange, c, projecting out beyond the body of the cap and arranged a little above the ground-line, in combination with the main tunnel A and the inlet-cylinder B, composed of the sectionsv b, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A submerged inlet-cap, C, provided with a flange, c, extending outward from the main body a little way above the ground-line and having a conical top provided with side openings, cl, and a central opening, c', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The submerged inletcap C, provided with a conical top having side openings, c2, in combination with detachable covering-plates E, for closing the side openings, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The submerged inlet cap C, having a conical top provided with a central opening, c', and side openings, c?, in combination with the side closing-plates, E, and central closing- ICO IIO

plate, F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The submerged inlet cap C, provided with a central opening, c', and side openings, et', in combination with the closing-plates E and F and the removable pipe or cylinder G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A submerged inlet for tunnels, in combtaehed to one of the closing-plates and pronaton with a, detachable air-tube, whereby vided with a stop-oook, and the air-tube I, 1o communication may be made between the nl substantially as and for the purposes seb forth. terior of the inlet; and the atmosphere above T 1 5 the Water-body when the inlet is closed, sub- 'TOHB A' COLL stantally as and for the purposes set forth.

Vtn ess es S. The tunnel A, in combination with the THOMAS H. PEsE, inIet-ey1inder B, inlet-cup G, air-pipe H, ati CRLOTTA E. LITTLE. 

